The invented image forming apparatus includes an image data production condition production section for producing an image data production condition, an image data output condition production section for producing an image data output condition, and an image data management section for obtaining the image data production condition and the image data output condition in response to an output demand of the image data, for outputting the image data in a case where the image data production condition coincides to the image data output condition, for obtaining a password of the image data in a case where the image data production condition does not coincide to the image data output condition, for outputting the image data in a case where the designated password is entered at a time of image production, and for not outputting the image data in a case where anything other than the designated password is entered at the time of image production. With the invented image forming apparatus, the user's manipulability is much improved as ensuring the security.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an acquisition unit configured to acquire first data; a writing unit configured to write to an external memory medium the first data contemporaneously with apparatus identification information identifying the image forming apparatus, wherein the external memory medium stores the first data written at the writing unit and second data not associated with the apparatus identification information; an operating unit configured to receive a processing instruction with respect to the first data or the second data written in the external memory medium; and a processing unit configured to judge whether or not the apparatus identification information is associated with the first data when the operating unit receives the processing instruction with respect to the first data, the processing unit performing a processing with respect to the first data written in the external memory medium based on a judgment result that the apparatus identification information is associated with the first data, and the processing unit being further configured to judge whether or not the apparatus identification information is associated with the second data when the operating unit receives the processing instruction with respect to the second data, the processing unit restricting the processing with respect to the second data written in the external memory medium based on the judgment result that the apparatus identification information is not associated with the second data.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus identification information is a MAC address of the image forming apparatus.
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a memory unit configured to store data identification information for identifying the first data, wherein the writing unit associates the data identification information with the first data, and writes the data identification information and the first data in the external memory medium, wherein the processing unit, when the operating unit receives the processing instruction with respect to the first data, judges whether or not the data identification information written in the external memory medium and the data identification information stored in the memory unit correspond to each other, and whether or not the apparatus identification information is associated with the first data, the processing unit performing the processing with respect to the first data written in the external memory medium based on the judgment result that the apparatus identification information is associated with the first data.
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a password reception unit configured to receive an input of a first password; a conversion unit configured to encrypt the first data acquired at the acquisition unit based on the first password received at the password reception unit, wherein the writing unit associates the encrypted first data together with the apparatus identification information, and writes the encrypted first data and the associated apparatus identification information in the external memory medium; and a password memory unit configured to store the first password received at the password reception unit, wherein the processing unit, when the operating unit receives the processing instruction with respect to the first data, judges whether or not the apparatus identification information is associated with the first data, based on the judgment result that the apparatus identification information is associated with the first data, the processing unit decrypting the first data based on the first password stored in the password memory unit, and performs the processing with respect to the decrypted first data.
5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the second data written in the external memory medium is encrypted, and wherein the processing unit, when the operating unit receives the processing instruction with respect to the second data, allows the password reception unit to receive an input of a second password, and decrypts the second data based on the received second password, and performs a processing with respect to the decrypted second data.
6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising: another apparatus identification information memory unit configured to store another apparatus identification information identifying another image forming apparatus, wherein the processing unit, when the operating unit receives the processing instruction with respect to the second data, judges whether or not the apparatus identification information is associated with the second data, the processing unit obtains the second password from the another image forming apparatus identified by the another apparatus identification information stored in the another apparatus identification information memory unit based on the judgment result that the apparatus identification information is not associated with the second data, and decrypts the second data based on the second password obtained, and performs the processing with respect to the decrypted second data.
7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first data is image data, and the second data is image data.
8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit is a scanner.
9. An image forming apparatus comprising: an acquisition unit configured to acquire first data and second data; a writing unit configured to write the first data and first association information in an external memory medium and to write the second data and second association information in the external memory medium, wherein the first association information includes apparatus identification information identifying the image forming apparatus, the first association information being information for associating the first data and the apparatus identification information, and the second association information includes the apparatus identification information, the second association information being information for associating the second data and the apparatus identification information; an operating unit configured to receive a processing instruction with respect to the first data or the second data written in the external memory medium; a processing unit configured to judge whether or not the apparatus identification information included in the first association information written in the external memory medium and the apparatus identification information of the image forming apparatus correspond to each other when the operating unit receives the processing instruction with respect to the first data, and if there is a correspondence, the processing unit performs a processing with respect to the first data written in the external memory medium, and if there is no correspondence, the processing unit restricts the processing with respect to the first data written in the external memory medium, the processing unit being further configured to judge whether or not the apparatus identification information included in the second association information written in the external memory medium and the apparatus identification information of the information processing apparatus correspond to each other when the operating unit receives the processing instruction with respect to the second data, and if there is a correspondence, the processing unit performs the processing with respect to the second data written in the external memory medium, and if there is no correspondence, the processing unit restricts the processing with respect to the second data written in the external memory medium; a password reception unit configured to receive an input of a first password and an input of a second password; a conversion unit configured to encrypt the first data acquired at the acquisition unit based on the first password received at the password reception unit and encrypt the second data acquired at the acquisition unit based on the second password received at the password reception unit, wherein the writing unit writes the encrypted first data together with the encrypted second data in the external memory medium in association with each other, a password memory unit configured to store the first and the second passwords received at the password reception unit, wherein the processing unit, when the operating unit receives the processing instruction with respect to the first data, judges whether or not the apparatus identification information included in the first association information written in the external memory medium and the apparatus identification information of the image forming apparatus correspond to each other, and if there is a correspondence, the processing unit decrypts the first data based on the first password stored in the password memory unit, and performs the processing with respect to the decrypted first data, wherein the processing unit, when the operating unit receives the processing instruction with respect to the second data, judges whether or not the apparatus identification information included in the second association information written in the external memory medium and the apparatus identification information of the image forming apparatus correspond to each other, and if there is a correspondence, the processing unit decrypts the second data based on the second password stored in the password memory unit, and performs the processing with respect to the decrypted second data; and another apparatus identification information memory unit configured to store apparatus identification information of another image forming apparatus, wherein the processing unit, when the operating unit receives the processing instruction with respect to the first data, judges whether or not the apparatus identification information included in the first association information written in the external memory medium and the apparatus identification information of the image forming apparatus correspond to each other, and if there is no correspondence, the processing unit obtains the password from the another image forming apparatus indicated with the apparatus identification information stored in the another apparatus identification information memory unit, and decrypts the first data based on the password obtained, and performs the processing with respect to the decrypted first data, and wherein the processing unit, when the operating unit receives the processing instruction with respect to the second data, judges whether or not the apparatus identification information included in the second association information written in the external memory medium and the apparatus identification information of the image forming apparatus correspond to each other, and if there is no correspondence, the processing unit obtains the password from the another image forming apparatus indicated with the apparatus identification information stored in the another apparatus identification information memory unit, and decrypts the second data based on the password obtained, and performs the processing with respect to the decrypted second data.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
March 17, 2011
October 13, 2015
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